Ok, I owe you all an explanation as to why most of the review sections are gone in the previous chapters, and what happened. Well, the answer is simple: I had to edit the entire story due to one oversight. Yup, that's right. The oversight in question was the Boost skill, as after some calculations during the writing process of an upcoming chapter, I discovered that Issei could, even now, boost himself until he could almost one-shot Big Red. Well, this is a bit of an exaggeration, considering how I will have Big R in this fic, but he was 100% more powerful than even deities when fully boosted, something I couldn't in good conscience allow, so I went back and altered the Boost Skill so it is still Op, but now, doesn't allow him to one-shot Gods at his current level of development.
During this, I updated all other chapters but lost the review sections for most of them. There won't be one in this chapter either, sadly, but I can promise that the review answering section will return next chapter. I also used this chance to make some fixes and minor changes, which do not require you to go back and re-read the entire story.
Now, do not attempt to say shit like "You idiot, you nerfed him again! The System is thrash, delete it" or something else like that. This was an actual issue, which I fixed, for the sake of keeping things relatively balanced. Plus, this Issei is still stronger than his cannon counterpart, so, yeah...Piss off, everyone who says cannon Issei is better because frankly, I think you are forgetting the timeline here.
In canon, at this point, Issei's only redeeming quality was his Longinus. Kiba was the main heavy hitter until season 3, whilst Issei was on support.
So yeah. Anyway, with those updates made, I can now resume writing as normal. Here is the next chapter, and do not worry about him seeming to progress slowly. Thanks to help from one of you guys, I have a good surprise coming in chapter...31!
Ok, perhaps, in hindsight, he should have invested more in defensive skills. Issei admitted that now, as the day ended and everyone went back to their rooms after having some dinner prepared by Raynare and Asia. Thanks to the Seal, the food was not poisoned in any way, and Raynare actually did a good job with the cooking, even receiving light praise from Kiba. Still, Issei did see some other things.
+5 RP with Raynare.
That was pretty much the total at the end of the day. It has to be something to do with Asia affecting her, or something really! Still, Raynare's stats aside, Issei focused on some more important details. As he plopped down on his bed, the quests rang out as he completed the first, repeatable objective and he claimed the reward. Now, the quest gave him 200K EXP every time, then it goes through the bonus provided by his ring, based on his WID, which, thanks to some good calls, now sat at 88. This meant he got a bonus of 8.8% in terms of EXP. 217600 is the amount now with that bonus added, but then comes the bonuses from his [Parallel Mind] skill. In total, that skill granted him a whopping 30% bonus, putting the EXP earned to 282880.
Congratulations! You are now level 32!
Which was enough for him to level up again! Ha! Wasting no time, he also opened up his stat page, immediately spending the 5 Stat Points he earned, using 3 to put his MGI to 100. Then, he spend the last 2 on his ACC, getting that up a bit more up to 72. Training with Akeno helped him improve those two stats, specifically, along with his AGI to some degree.
Attention! Since MGI has reached the current limit of 100, whenever you level up the stat point meant for it will be distributed to the next skill on the list below 100!
MAXED?! How come?! He saw everyone else having stats WAY above 100, and he even boosted beyond 100! How come he was capped at 100?!
"Issei, calm yourself. 100 is merely your limit as a human." Solomon told him, calming the boy. "You can still break this limit using your sacred gear, but your overall body cannot grow past this. Not without something to alter it. Do not worry, my student, we will discover how to break this limit in time."
"Alright, Solomon…" Issei said softly, calming himself. He didn't know being human had him receive a cap on his stats like this. It made him feel sorry for other humans out there, fighting against the supernatural. It seems like they need to alter their bodies, and from what Issei can guess, the most common occurrence of this is them joining a devil's peerage to become devils. That in itself is a vicious way to look at it, but he was certain some humans retained their humanity and still grew in power!
Plus, he had Solomon! He and the Wise King will find a solution in no time! Together with Ddraig as well, of course!
Anyhow, back to the progress report of yesterday's spar with Akeno. His magical skills did grow as well, a bit. Well, his fire magic did. He also saw some of the others looking a bit tired, but he is confident they all learned a few things today about where they need to focus their attention in the coming days. For Issei, however, the situation was an all-rounder situation, as he had to focus on as many skills as possible, plus his quest before the time runs out. All in all, relationships should be the easy part.
But then again, he had already finished half of the main objective. He had high confidence he would be able to see this quest through by the end of the 3 weeks, then he would put his skills to use against that Riser guy. He is itching for that battle, oh boy, was he itching. But for now, all he desired was a good night's rest.
In the middle of the night, around 1 in the morning, as Issei slept soundly on his bed, he was disturbed when the sound of knocking became audible at the door. Slowly, his eyes opened themselves, his skill allowing him to see in the dark perfectly. "Who could it be at this late hour?" He asked himself with a tired voice as he slowly made his way to the door, opening it to reveal the person who was disturbing him in the dead of night.
Imagine his surprise when it was not one of the girls he expected to want skinship with him, or even Kuroka looking for a late-night round, but rather, it was Asia. "G-good evening, Issei." She said softly, standing in the doorway and being dressed in her white nightgown. "May I come in? I apologize for interrupting your sleep, but I need to talk with you about…Raynare."
"Raynare?" Issei echoed, seeing her nod. "Very well, come on in then." He welcomed her inside his room, closing the door behind her and watching her as she sat on the bed. "So, what is it you wished to talk about?"
"Well, you see, ever since the other Fallen Angels were revealed to have been using her, Raynare has been in…Not so good of a place of mind." Asia began. "She might act badly around you, but that is because she still loathes you for what you did to her, and in a way, blames you for everything."
"I see…" Issei replied slowly. "And you know this because she told you?"
She nodded. "Sometime after you brought me into your home…"
As Asia recounted the story, she didn't miss any details. She remembered the encounter the best she could. It was late at night in the Hyoudou Household, and everyone else has just gone to sleep. Asia herself was awake because she had a bit of trouble sleeping in such a new environment, especially after everything that happened, so she was trying to reach the kitchen. Warm milk always did the trick of putting her right to sleep when she had trouble.
Yet, as she exited her room within the dungeon, and exited the dungeon itself, coming into the living room, she heard sobbing coming from the couch. She approached it slowly, only to see Raynare there, crying, or at least, failing miserably to restrain her tears. "Raynare?" Asia called out to her, making the Fallen quickly turn her head to the nun girl.
Her tears seemed to pause a scowl adorned her face at that moment. "What the fuck do YOU want?" The fallen snarled at her, making Asia winch slightly.
"You were crying."
Raynare flinched a bit t having that pointed out, yet, she didn't dare deny the fact seeing as she was caught in the act. "What do you care? You are not the one who was discarded like thrash because of a simple mistake. Nor are you the one enslaved."
By this point, Asia knew of Issei's connection with Solomon, yes, and to some extent, about the Seal placed on Raynare. "I just wanted to see if you were alright."
"Alright? Alright?!" Raynare snapped, staring at Asia. "How can I possibly be alright?! I was ENSLAVED! More than that, I cannot even return to Grigori in this state! I was tagged as a rogue, and even the ones I worked with until now have left me to suffer in this shithole!"
"T-this house is not bad-"
"Bullshit!" Raynare shouted, cutting off Asia. "You at least have your own fucking room! I need to sleep on the couch of all things! And let me tell you something about the walls in this house, they are not thick enough to contain the moans of that nymphomaniac cat as she is being pounded by that perverted dragon!"
Asia recoiled at the crude words coming from the Fallen, however, after she seemed to have vented enough, Raynare collapsed back on her couch, head in her palms. "I just…Don't know what to do anymore…"
"What do you mean?" Asia asked slowly, trying not to try Raynare's already fragile nerves.
"What is next?" The fallen asked. "Do I just go to the dragon and open my legs, hoping he'll grant me the power to get revenge? Or should I just resign to my fate as their FUCKING maid?"
"I-I may not know Issei for that long, but I doubt he's the type of person to force himself upon others," Asia said in Issei's defense, then she tried to think for a bit. "Well, you're already their maid, in a sense."
"Forced, mind you." Raynare pointed out, pointing at her seal. "If not for this, I'd just take flight away from here!"
"But…Is it THAT bad? It could be worst."
Raynare looked at Asia strangely, the poor girl shrinking under her intensive gaze. She couldn't harm her. The seal prevented her from harming anyone in this household. But then again, as Raynare looked at Asia, she couldn't help but admit to something. "I guess he could be raping me non-stop." Raynare dryly added, which seemed to both disturb and relieve Asia a bit.
"See? I am sure that if you at least try it, you will find life here not to be as bad as you think it is. Who knows? Maybe one day, when he trusts you enough, Issei will even remove the seal!" Asia said, full of positivity.
Raynare merely snorted. "Yeah, right. Maybe when fat pigs fly."
"Erm."
"Anyway, what are you doing up so late? Couldn't sleep?" Raynare asked Asia, switching the focus from herself.
"I was heading to the kitchen for some warm milk," Asia replied.
"Well, don't let me stop you from that. Go on ahead, but I swear if you order me to prepare it for you-"
"I won't!" The girl replied quickly.
"Good. Now be on your way and let me sleep."
"After that encounter, I and Raynare began to talk a bit more slowly," Asia said as the scenery switched back to Issei's room within the mansion owned by the Gremory family, up in the mountains. "We would talk, and I'd try to help her accept things more. And I think she made progress, but she still feels mostly left out and, I guess, she feels alone.
"Are you certain she was being genuine?" Issei asked Asia, who immediately replied.
"Yes, I am certain! Raynare is…Is not a good person, but she is at least trying to accept how things are now. She accepted that her situation could be worst, as I just told you, but she also began to see the positives. A roof over her head, three meals a day, and even a relative promise of safety."
"That is indeed true," Issei confirmed. "And good, to some degree, but from what you told me, I am not sure how to reply to the part about me removing her seal."
"What do you mean?" Asia asked with worry.
"You said it yourself: She is not a good person. I am not sure I can trust her - Actually, scratch that, I cannot trust her since she tried to kill me. It's way too early to even think about removing the seal, and I doubt she'd make a full 180 with her personality. For all I know, she might even attempt to backstab us the moment she is freed." Asia looked down, saddened by the response, even if she knew it was the truth. "But…" Then she looked up. "I also noticed changes in her demeanor. Look, Asia, I cannot promise anything, but if you can somehow make Raynare change, then I will consider freeing her."
"You mean it?" She asked.
"As I said, I cannot promise anything. It's a big IF, but…IF she manages to change, then I will remove the seal."
+6 RP with Asia Argento!
"That is all I ask for." Asia replied, happy to have reached an agreement on behalf of Raynare. "O-on another subject, how's your training going so far?"
"It was just the first day, but I guess it is going pretty well." Issei replied to her. "Thanks to Akeno and Kiba, I feel progress in some areas where I had issues before, and still do. Not to mention I think everyone is benefiting a bit from this."
"How so?"
"Kuroka is spending more time with her sister, Ingvild is learning how to better control her power from Rias, and even you are meeting them and making friends." Issei listed the positives easily. "Sure, Raynare might be feeling a bit left out, but I will leave her in your care."
"I see. But, what about the purpose of this training trip?" Asia asked, reminding Issei of the real purpose of their trip up to the mountains. "I spoke a bit with Koneko, or Shirone, as you and Kuroka seem to be calling her. She told me all about this Riser person, and I cannot blame Rias for not wanting to be married to such a man. He sounded like…like…"
"A pig?" Solomon added, catching Asia off-guard a bit. "Forgive me, child, but I and Ddraig cannot help but eavesdrop on your conversation."
"Solomon, I thought we agreed about this before; no butting into my private conversations!" Issei whined to the Wise King inside his head. "And Ddraig? You as well?"
"Compared to you, I and Solomon do not need to sleep. We are permanently awake, pretty much."
"K-King Solomon-"
"Just Solomon is fine, child. I am a king no more." Solomon told her.
"R-right. About Riser…How would you describe him, from your perspective?" Asia asked the wise man, waiting for his reply.
"Hmm. The original Phenex, of the order Ars Goetia I enslaved once was…A man of science." Solomon began slowly. "He could preach and recite all wonderful sciences of the time, and he was an avid poet. Why I once indulged the demon and arranged a little circle of poetry for him. Among all the demons, he was the one most loyal, as he understood that if he didn't attempt to fight back, I would be treating him better. He was right, won't say he was delusional. But he had a silver tongue, that one, extremely manipulative! I always had to watch out for his words."
"And Riser?"
"Not even close!" Solomon replied strongly. "From what I hear of that boy, he is arrogant, a womanizer, and not one bit like his ancestor! He's a shame upon the Phenex name if anything! But then again…DEVILS do not care for the finer arts anymore, I believe."
"Rias wants us to help her fight him." Issei continued. "I am her ace, as Riser is unaware of Rias' current strength."
"So, when the time comes, you will do battle with him?" Asia asked, receiving a nod from Issei, but she seemed awfully nervous. "I am not sure I am comfortable with this, to be honest with you, Issei. While you fight, I, Kuroka, and Ingvild will have to just watch from the side. What if you get hurt?"
"Ha! If that fried chicken attempts to get close, we will show him true power…" Ddraig added with confidence. "Do not worry yourself, Asia Argento. Remember who you are worrying about! Issei wields the Boosted Gear - He is the Red Dragon Emperor of this generation, and I can already call him a fine one! A simple Devil won't be a great challenge."
Asia took a bit to process Ddraig's words, then she seemed to relax a bit. "You're right, Ddraig. Sorry for doubting you, Issei."
"It's alright, Asia. I am grateful that you worry about me, but you shouldn't let that stop you from focusing on yourself as well. Have you tried to improve yourself too?" Issei asked.
"I don't know how, my Sacred Gear is not very…flexible."
"That is because you do not have the right mindset," Ddraig added. "I know more about Sacred Gears than Solomon here, being one. Asia Argento, allow me to answer some unsaid questions: You see, your Gear, Twilight Healing, has no such thing as a default Balance Breaker. No, a few do, and they are all quite powerful. Not even all Longinus have one. But there are the Sub-Species."
"Sub-Species?" Asia echoed, but then Issei cut in.
"Oi, Ddraig, how come I am only learning of those now as well?!"
"I didn't want you to waste time trying to create one and regret it later," Ddraig replied to Issei. "A Sub-Species is…something akin to a one-time thing. You CAN create more than one for yourself, and not everyone CAN do it, or even create their own Sub-Species voluntarily. Think of it like a Balance Breaker unique to yourself. However, you shouldn't rely on possibly getting more, as that is a one-in-a-million event to happen. Some Sacred Gears manifest as Sub-Species themselves, and even the Boosted Gear became a Sub-Species twice before. The first time it happened, it got the ability to clone anything perfectly that the user touched. A waste they used it to multiply gold so much they broke the economy of a whole kingdom overnight."
"And the other?" Asia asked, invested in the dragon's words.
"The other Sub-Species that I ever turned into were more volatile. It stocked up power and amplified that stored power without putting a strain on the user. However, there was no control over this, and soon enough, the power became too much to be safely released in any way."
"Does that mean not all Sub-Species are beneficial?" Issei asked, seeing the issue with the second one. "Like, some of them have hidden catches that screw you over."
For making a good observation, you were granted 1 WIS.
"Yes. That is exactly right." Ddraig confirmed. "But they can be very powerful. But, as I said, you can develop a Sub-Species Balance Breaker, or more, but don't waste your time getting more than one."
"So, in essence, if Asia here were to attempt to get one, she'd need to be careful how she gets it." Solomon summarized.
"It takes a prodigy or an inhuman amount of hard work to achieve one willingly. Most of the time, it is by sheer mistake." The dragon pointed out again. "But I did meet one wielder of a Sub-Species Twilight Healing. They got it by chance, luckily for them. They were able to heal anyone, regardless of distance, as long as they wore one of the rings."
"Rings? Like these?" Asia asked, bringing out her Gear to show the rings.
"Yes. They could create multiple, and share them with others. Those people in turn were being constantly healed, but in exchange, their own power and stamina were constantly drained each time the healing was going on." Ddraig finished his explanation. "Other than that, as far as default capabilities go, if you train it, you could learn how to heal from afar."
"I-I see…That is a lot to think about."
"Perhaps it is wise to call off this conversation here, no? It is quite late, and we all agreed that the mornings will start early. It is in our best interests to get plenty of rest." Solomon said, and everyone agreed. Asia left the room soon after, wishing them goodnight. But then, Solomon let out a sigh. "You had to open your mouth, Ddraig."
"Huh?"
Quest updated!
"This is bound to be interesting," Issei noted dryly as he checked the quest.
The Three Powers.
Well, since Ddraig explained it to you, guess it is my duty to make it more interesting!
Main Objective: Create your own Sub-Species Balance Breaker!
Quest Time Limit: N/A.
Main Objective Rewards: 750K EXP, 980K Y, ?.
Failure Penalty: N/A
"At least it is no immediate objective." Issei remarked, then he collapsed on his bed with a yawn.
"Come on!" Issei shouted with energy as he and Kiba exchanged blows once again on the training grounds. Akeno was waiting for her turn on the side as Issei and Kiba locked blades with one another, all the while everyone was pretty much doing the same kinds of training they were doing yesterday, but now, with more focused goals in mind. Issei remained set on his opinion that he needs to simply work on as many skills as possible, but that was not to say he cannot aid the others as well.
They seemed to gain small amounts of EXP too, although his [Observe] was not that powerful to see their Skill Page, he could still see their EXP meters going up. This was the real start of week 1 of training for them, and Issei focused on himself. But that being said, Solomon did do other things within his head, namely, trying to come up with better methods and new ideas. Ddraig is aiding him, providing information on as many fields present as possible that Solomon had little to no knowledge of, such as Sacred Gears.
"Issei! Stop your spar with Kiba for a bit, and tell him this." Solomon suddenly said, and Issei decided to listen to the wise king.
"Wait, Kiba! I just got an idea!" Issei said, and sure enough, Kiba stopped.
"What is the matter, Issei?" The other male asked.
"Well, your Sacred Gear can create various swords, right? All with their abilities? Ever tried to create one on the go?" Issei asked, seemingly making Kiba think.
"Well, you do have a point, my Gear DOES allow me to create any demonic sword I want, with almost any ability I want them to have. However, from what I learned, they are inferior to actual demonic swords." Kiba replied. "But now that you pointed out the ability part…What had you in mind?"
"What if, in theory, you made swords to counter specific opponents?" Issei asked. "Maybe not counter all of their abilities, but still be able to bring out the right sword for the job. Did you ever try to create a sword on the fly like that?"
"Actually…I did not, no." Kiba replied, feeling a bit of shame having that pointed out. "Before, when I made my current set, I took my time to focus on their form and abilities. But I did come a long way since the early days with my Gear."
"How long since your last creation?"
"I think…a few years, around there?" Kiba's answer had Solomon groan inside Issei's head.
"Well, how about attempting to create one right now? It doesn't have to look cool, you could just keep a certain design in mind and let your Gear do the rest. Form, ability, and…I guess skill? I don't get how your Gear works, so sorry if my words are out of place."
"No, no! On the contrary, you might be on to something." Kiba replied, then he dropped his current blade, letting it vanish. "Ok, let's see…How about this?" He stretched out his hand and focused a bit, creating a sword. Kiba's eyes widened for a second seeing it. "It worked…"
"You expected it not to?"
"Frankly, yes, I did. Before, I had to focus a lot more to create a sword. Hmm. It looks like I was not wrong there either, however." Kiba replied as he examined the sword. It was a short blade, reaching from his elbow to the tip of his index finger. The guard and handle of it seemed to be black, with hints of bronze for coloring, and the blade itself had a strange, black section in the center. "It's quite…underwhelming."
"Well, does it do anything?" Issei asked.
"Well, when I envisioned its ability, I thought back a bit to our first spar," Kiba said, then, Issei noticed something. The black section in the center began to change color, slowly turning red. Issei's [Danger Sense] blared out, and he reacted as swiftly as he could.
"Kiba, watch out!" Issei shouted, kicking the sword out of Kiba's hand in time as in the next second it exploded, sending small pieces of dirt all around.
"Oh my!" Akeno gasped seeing the event, rushing to them. "Are you alright, Kiba? Issei?"
"Thanks to Issei, I am." Kiba replied.
+5 RP with Yuuto Kiba.
+1 RP with Akeno Himejima.
"What was that even? I never saw you create a sword that explodes in your hands before." Akeno asked, and sure enough, Issei replied.
"I think that is what it was; an Explosive Sword."
"The center part of it seemed to change color slowly, over time, like a timer," Kiba added, offering his observations. Then he looked at the damage it caused. "It was a good explosion, considering the size of the sword."
"The size of it can work to your advantage as well!" Issei added. "Imagine if you stuck that into your enemy or something, then took distance and allowed the explosion to do the rest? Or launch multiples at your enemy?"
"It would spell a disastrous strike for them, and if I focus some more, I could make a sword that detonates when I want it to detonate instead of being on a timer," Kiba replied, an excited smile on his face. "You opened my eyes, Issei. I am afraid I will be tapping out early today to go train by myself and try to perfect more new swords. "
"No issue, Kiba. I will begin working with Akeno here." Issei replied, and sure enough, Kiba went away to work on his own thing now, leaving Issei with Akeno.
"So, are you ready for more of what I gave you last time?" Akeno asked, already letting sparks of lightning fly around her fingers. However, Issei simply summoned his Sacred Gear. "Oh?"
"I am more than ready, Akeno," Issei replied to her, using the sharp claws of his gear to cut his palm and draw some blood. Akeno noticed this and realized they already started, so she took to the skies once more. Keeping her distance and not engaging in close-quarter combat, where she knew Issei was pretty dangerous, worked well enough last time, but she had to remember that he was no fool.
He learned and adapted far quicker than anyone else she has ever seen before, and sure enough, he had already made his move, summoning two magical circles in her direction. "Eat this!" Two massive streams of water came straight for her. Akeno saw them and decided to retaliate using her lightning, only, the two massive jets of water fell to the ground before reaching her, confusing her.
"What?" She muttered, but then realized something. She was facing the sun with her back, meaning she cast a shadow! And right now, said shadow was right where Issei used to be. She had unwillingly given him what he needed to use his small teleportation spell, meaning he had just moved out of her field of vision, but where? She knew he had to teleport where there were more shadows, and their small field didn't provide that many except for the forest at the edge of it.
The forest…
"This trick won't work, Issei!" She declared as she launched multiple volleys of fire at the forest, decimating the trees in hopes of flushing Issei out. But when multiple trees were burning and falling, she sensed it. She turned around just in time to put up a small barrier to avoid Issei's strike, seeing him covered in his Balance Breaker to enable him to fly and nullify her aerial advantage.
Issei's fist connected with the barrier, but something was wrong. His fist was open, and what was worst, he smeared the barrier with blood. A symbol made of blood. Akeno gasped, trying to dismiss the barrier as quickly as she could, seeing a shadowy tendril erupt from the symbol and head for her.
Luckily, she was able to dismiss the barrier swiftly enough before she was struck, and saw Issei land again, dismissing his Balance Breaker. "I thought you wouldn't be using your Balance Breaker during this!" Akeno pointed out.
"I had to reach you somehow! Plus, I didn't use any boost!" Issei replied to defend himself. "But on a side note…" He turned to the forest. "What has the forest ever done to you?!"
Akeno flinched a bit. "I thought you were hiding there, due to the shadows cast by the trees."
Issei began to use his water magic to put out the fires." Like hell I was! There is a small rock below you, right under your skirt! It also cast a shadow good enough for me to teleport!"
"Below my-" Akeno blushed a bit, realizing Issei might have taken a peak at her underwear. Still, she didn't seem as embarrassed as she seemed intrigued. Maybe a bit embarrassed, but then again, in battle, it didn't matter if you got fully naked, as long as you could still fight. Though, females are not as open to that idea as males tend to be. She watched as he put out the forest she lit on fire, letting out a breath of relief.
She then turned to her. "Can we NOT start a forest fire?!"
She simply giggled. "I make no such promises." She replied.
+1 RP with Akeno Himejima.
"Does she like being shouted at or something?" Issei thought in response to the random gain in RP with her, but he decided to ignore it. Instead, he and Akeno resumed their sparring. But little did he know, as they fought, Akeno's mind was somewhat…distracted.
"What are you hiding, Issei Hyoudou?" She asked herself. "What did that Stray mean by 'game'? Do you treat everything like it is a game to you, with no consequences to be had? Or perhaps, you hunt your powers like hunters hunt prey, making it a game out of their suffering? The Red Dragon Emperor as well, you are quite intriguing, to say the least. No wonder Rias is developing a crush on you."
She returned a bit of her focus to the battle as a fiery arrow flew by her head, returning the gesture with a mix of lightning and fire. However, Issei's magical arsenal had her on the ropes. "So much magic, yet his spells are simple, at the level of a novice. He uses them to great effect, though. He is powerful, and consequently, he has already started his harem to that. Predictable, given he is THE Red Dragon Emperor. Their reputation precedes them."
She will need to keep a very close eye on him for the rest of the week.
At the end of the second day of training, Issei reviewed his and everyone's overall progress. Starting with him, thanks to Kiba and Akeno, his skill had once again progressed greatly! He was even able to convince Akeno to train with him a bit more in the evening, so he got some action with his shadow magic as well! As far as his stats went, thanks to both Kiba and Akeno, he gained one more AGI point and 3 more ACC points! Naturally, this meant his ACC-related perk evolved!
[Decent Sharpshooter]: This perk grants you a bonus 10% chance to hit your targets at long range.
Then came the bonus EXP from the quest, with 200K becoming 260000 first, then the bonus from his ring was added, turning that into 283660. That was almost 100K more EXP, which Issei welcomed in full! As far as his RP with everyone going, he had already fulfilled the requirement for Kiba, and he gained an additional 3 points with Akeno as well by the end of the day.
Good progress. Later, at the dinner, he noticed how Shirone looked a bit tired, so he once again offered her his dessert. Easy 3 points of RP with her. Speaking of, Shirone has been progressing nicely with her Ki-related abilities under Kuroka's care, and apparently, she began to show signs of something called Touki as well.
He really should ask Kuroka to teach him a thing or two one of these days, he feels like his own Youkai-related stuff is being left behind.
As far as Ingvild went, she seemed very lively at dinner, likely because she had a breakthrough with her training. Good for her, Issei was glad to know his household was doing well. Raynare, as always, was mostly hanging inside the house, under orders not to try anything. However, Asia did have her today help her with first aid if needed, and they had been talking quite a bit, exchanging opinions about everyone.
Issei sincerely hopes Raynare is not influencing Asia badly, and instead, it is the other way around.
Rias, on the other hand, seemed very stressed at dinner. He'd need to make sure to talk with her at some point, since, fair is fair, she had the lowest amount of RP needed apart from Kiba on his, but he felt there had to be a catch there. As in, the System gave him higher values to achieve with Akeno and Shirone, but seeing how Akeno went and how he already knew Shirone, he had a feeling the higher values were given to those who had an easier time getting close to him and he to them.
Kiba was more of a neutral party, but since his requirement was quite low, he must have done quite a good job on that front. Meaning that he had no idea if Rias was an easy one or a hard one if he were to give an opinion, but he can guess she must be under a lot of stress given the approaching Rating Game.
Yet, he decided not to pry much into her business. The next day was ahead!
The third day of the first week of training.
"Hey, Rias!" Issei shouted as he approached the pure-blood she-devil, attracting her attention. Sure enough, she turned around to notice him as he approached. "Thought I'd drop by, see what it is you are working on. I thought for a bit you wouldn't be doing much training, given you have the power to pretty much erase everything here."
"Well, contrary to what everyone might believe, the Power of Destruction is not perfect," Rias replied, staring at the target, which had bits missing on the edges. "It's fairly hard to control, and it took me a few years to just get the basics of it done together with my uncle, Lord Bael."
"Then, what it is you are trying to do here?" Issei asked again, showing increasing interest in her training. "I might be able to provide you with some advice, if you'd allow me, that is."
"That is a generous offer, but I don't think you can do much," Rias replied to him, turning him down politely.
"The Power of Destruction was a power utilized by the original Bael as well, although, from what I know, they had a few more aces up their sleeve than just charging it and launching it out to destroy." Issei began, catching Rias' attention. "Some old texts talk about how he was able to shape his power and even create constructs with it. Of course, this level of control and skill was lost merely one generation later, Guess natural talent cannot be passed down, ey?"
"H-how do you know such things about the original wielder of the Power of Destruction?" Rias asked, staring at him with awe. However, Solomon was whispering to Issei.
"As I said, older books." Issei lied easily. A simple lie. "But I think I can see what you are trying to do here. The Power of Destruction is powerful, but slow when it comes to traveling through space. You are trying to fix that by shaping it into a more fitting form for traveling long distances quickly, correct? Like an arrow?"
Rias recoiled back a bit, stunned by his analysis. "Y-yes. You are on point. I have been trying to shape the power into the shape of an arrow to launch at the target, but despite my best efforts, I can barely get the shape right. Not to mention I seem to be trading control for shape."
"Now that is just idiotic to think!" Solomon commented, beginning his explanation to Issei.
"I don't think that is true." He began. "I think the issue lies with the amount of power you are trying to use. Do you usually release a set amount of power, or do you release even smaller sparks of it?"
"Uncle said to always release a certain amount, as to constantly show both friends and enemies the glory of the Power of Destruction. Granted, now that I am hearing you question that, I come to think you believe uncle's words were driven by something other than wisdom." Rias commented, keeping her gaze on Issei, who nodded.
"Pride - Nay, arrogance, and over-inflated confidence in his bloodline's power in its sheer, raw form." He replied. "Whilst effective, no room to argue about that, if you want it to listen to you better, you should attempt to use less of it until you grow stronger and you become able to command more."
"Who's to say I am not already good enough?" Rias asked back, sounding a bit offended. However, that was when Issei summoned forth his [Fire Arrow] and obliterated the target Rias has been trying to hit so far. The fact he summoned it so quickly and made the shape so easily had Rias somewhat surprised.
"Shape is easy, but it's like trying to fill a glass of water. You can hope to pour an entire bottle in it and hope it will fit, you need to reduce the amount to get it right." Issei told her, giving her a stern look. "I do not mean to criticize or mock you in any way, don't misunderstand me. I am merely trying to help, and it is up to you wherever or not you wish to listen to my advice."
"Hmm." Rias thought for a bit, looking at him and the target, weighing her options.
+1 RP with Rias Gremory.
For managing to convince Rias Gremory to listen to your advice, you gained 1 CHA.
"You might have a point. What do you say, willingly train together with me for a bit? I could use the company." Rias asked of him, turning toward another set of targets. "You could also correct anything I do wrong while I train."
"It would be my pleasure."
The night was once again upon them, and Issei reviewed the progress for this day. All in all, he mostly spend it with Rias, so there was no real growth in his stats this time around except for that one point in CHA he gained earlier. He did get the EXP, which like last time, was 283660. No more RP points with Rias either, which confirmed his earlier thought about her being the more difficult one to achieve RP with. He will need to make effort with her.
But speaking of Rias' efforts, by the end of their training, she did manage to perfectly shape an arrow made of her Power of Destruction, but when she launched it, it went off-course, hitting the outer edge of the target, again. Now, this part Issei attributed to her possibly having low ACC, which prompted him to check her stats. Given how Rias was a Level 50, he expected a lot of high stats.
And he was not disappointed in some cases, but in others, he was.
Name
Rias Gremory
Title:
Princess of Ruin
Level:
50 (1698441200/1700754298EXP)
HP: 77000/77000 (1HP/Min)
STA: 29000/29000 (1STA/Min)
D.P: 80000/80000 (1 D.P/Min)
Mana: 119000/119000 (1 Mana/Min)
STR: 114
AGI: 95
MGI: 136
DUR: 102
ACC: 180
WIS: 67
INT: 153
CHA: 174
LCK: 55
Normal Perks
[Great Demonic Power - Natural Talent]: This unique perk shows the ability Rias Gremory possesses with Demonic Power. Aside from enabling her to use Imagination-Based Magic, paying D.P. (Demonic Power) instead of Mana, or adding Demonic Power to make the skill stronger (Every 100 D.P. spent doubles the power of the skill it is used in), her natural talent with it allows her control that is exceptionally rare even among High-Class Devils like her, granting her a bonus +200 D.P. after each level-up!
[Golden Skin]: This Perk grants a -25% damage reduction from physical strikes.
[Tactical Mind]: This perk is an achievement and testament to the user's intelligence in the field of tactics. Every time you pull off a successful tactic, you gain a bonus of 1000 EXP.
[Expert Magician]: The user is an experienced magician and practitioner of the arcane arts. This perk grants a Mana Discount of 30% and +50% more damage to all your Magical Attacks.
[Expert Sharpshooter]: This perk grants you a 25% bonus chance to hit your targets at long range.
[Golden Striker]: This Perk grants you a +25% damage boost when striking using physical strikes based on your STR (Original)
He will admit, Rias is nowhere near being weak, and her perks speak volumes for her. However, Issei cannot help but notice that she lacks severely in her AGI and STR stats, at least when compared to some other stats. Her CHA is very high, though, he will admit to that.
"At least she resembles Runeas in the chest area," Solomon commented.
"She also had a big chest?"
"Oh yeah. She did, indeed. A real shame she only went for women."
Day number 4 of the first week of training with the Gremory Peerage! Issei did spend a bit of time with Rias, helping her out, but then he decided to go see what Kuroka and Shirone were doing. And sure enough, the loud sound of a rock shattering into pieces was a pure testament to the carnage ongoing. "Stand still!" Shirone shouted in frustration as Kuroka seemed to retain an advantage of speed and agility over her little sister, which she used to great effect.
Another hit was delivered, dodged, and Shirone's frustration simply increased.
"Girls!" Issei shouted, getting their attention. "I don't mean to intrude, but could you tone it down? I don't think the mountain appreciates the destruction." He joked lightly.
"What can we say? Shirone here knows how to deliver a punch, nya!" Kuroka commented, offering some light praise to her sister, who merely sighed.
"Strong, yes. Fast? Not so much." The younger cat replied, which had Issei check her stats as well.
Name
Shirone "Koneko" Toujou
Level
33 (279808/3139295 EXP)
HP: 70000/70000 (1 HP/Min)
STA: 25000/26000 (1 STA/Min)
Ki: 22000/22000 (+1 ki/Min)
D.P: 12000/12000 ( 1 D.P/Min)
Mana: 5500/5500 (1 Mana/Min)
STR: 102
AGI: 74
MGI: 39
DUR: 115
ACC: 41
WIS: 58
INT: 73
CHA: 40
LCK: 39
Normal Perks
[Cat Reflexes]: Thanks to your race, as a Nekomata, you can sense danger coming and react quickly to it! During combat, this perk increases your AGI by 5%.
[Fine Senses]: This perk allows you to also sense other, subtler things aside from the things your skills state.
[Natural -Jutsu Talent!]: As a rare Yokai, you have a 10% EXP bonus to all of your Senjutsu and Youjutsu - based skills.
[Golden Striker]: This Perk grants you a +25% damage boost when striking using physical strikes based on your STR (Original)
[Golden Skin]: This Perk grants a -25% damage reduction from physical strikes.
Evil Piece Perks
[Walking Tank]: Due to your nature as a Rook, you have impressive DUR and STR, but your overall AGI is hurt as a result. Chances to get AGI points via training reduced by 50%.
[Locked additions]: Due to your Rook Piece, you cannot gain perks related to your AGI or MGI stats, as all perks must contain either STR or DUR as well. (This does not affect Race-specific Perks)
[Strength Boost]: +15% STR, +1 STR per level-up.
[Durability Boost]: +15% DUR, +1 DUR per level-up.
Overall, her stats are similar to Kiba's in terms of distribution, but unlike Kiba, she could count on her heritage to enable her the ability to bypass the lock on her AGI growth. Somewhat. Still, her perk had negative traits, making it harder for her to gain AGI. Surely, there had to be a way to help her train that better, but currently, he was drawing a blank on what he could do. "Chin up, Shirone. You are a rook, after all, so speed is not your forte, but that isn't to say you cannot still train with it. Speaking of, how goes your training?"
"It is going." Shirone replied coldly, but Kuroka came in with a more detailed explanation.
"She is making progress with her Senjutsu, and even her Youjutsu! Currently, she is trying to get a hold of Touki, a technique used by all Youkai to reinforce our bodies!" Kuroka explained. "She is making such good progress, I am so proud of my sister, nya!"
"I see. But the fact she cannot hit you is frustrating her, right?" Issei asked.
"Well, I can't be going easy on her just because she is my sister! I don't want her to fall into that pig's hands!" Kuroka replied.
+1 RP with Shirone "Koneko" Toujou
"Thanks for the care," Shirone replied sarcastically, and Issei could sense the tension in the air. However, that was when he got an idea.
"How about we switch things up a little? Truth be told, ever since I gained my Senjutsu and Youjutsu, I-"
"Nya! When did you gain Senjutsu abilities?!" Kuroka perked up, running up to him as soon as the words left his lips. Oh yeah…He forgot to tell her, didn't he? "Issei! Answer me!"
"I wanted to tell you, I just forgot!" Issei defended himself. "Anyhow, I thought we may be able to train together, Shirone, so that way I can also work on my abilities. Plus, I am not as fast and agile as Kuroka here, but please forgive me if I use the armor of my Balance Breaker. I don't want broken ribs."
"How are you dealing with Corruption then? Senjutsu causes more of it than normal Youjutsu." Shirone asked, looking at Issei.
"I haven't touched my Senjutsu at all, to be honest with you." He confessed. "My corruption is…pretty low, all things considered."
"Do you know any purifying rites?" Shirone asked, and that was when Kuroka interrupted.
"I wanted to take care of that when the time came." The older cat added with a mild blush on her face. "Don't worry, Issei, I will teach you how to deal with the corruption later. For now, however, I think this is a great idea! What do you think, dear sister, nya?"
"I don't have anything against it." Shirone replied, fixing her gloves on better. "But better be prepared, because I am not in the mood to be holding back."
Issei summoned out his Boosted Gear, with Kuroka going to the side to watch. "I will give my all as well." This was a good opportunity to train his martial too! Double win! Or rather, just another form of torture. Shirone charged at him with decent speed, almost matching his own, yet Issei had no trouble dodging her strike by side-stepping to the side. However, that was when she went lower, going for a swipe at his feet. Seeing this, Issei used his [Power Jump] to avoid getting put to the ground.
Yet, that didn't aid him much. Blueish flames lit themselves on Shirone's hands, and as she punched the air, they came right for him. He saw a skill like that on Kuroka, he thinks. It was some kind of spiritual fire. The first one hit him in the shoulder, causing him to lose a bit of balance when he landed, and Shirone took the opening, charging at him and delivering a powerful strike right to his gut.
"Oh, that has to have hurt."
"It has, Solomon. It has."
"Not helping, you two!" Issei internally told the two, then he focused back on the small fight, Shirone having retreated after punching his stomach. He felt a bit dizzy after the strike, but he recovered swiftly enough to avoid her second charge, which was signaled by a high kick coming to his head. Good thing she was wearing a grey tracksuit and not a skirt.
He was able to lean back, avoiding the kick, then he went for his own. Namely, a [Blazing Heel Strike] that struck true to Shirone's side, sending her back a couple of good feet, her tracksuit slightly burned by Issei's move. She looked at him with a surprised gaze, since she had never seen him perform that move before. Yet, that didn't stop her, and she charged in again.
Issei attempted to strike her using his [Power Punch] but she dodged it and grabbed Issei's arm. "Woah!" He shouted as he was swiftly thrown to the ground, then Shirone placed her foot on his shoulder while twisting his arm from the shoulder. "Aw, aw, aw!" He whined a bit.
"Surrender." She demanded coldly, but then Issei grabbed her by the forearm, using his [Socrching Touch] on her, which sure enough, caused her to let go of his arm, letting Issei get up and face her again. Shirone examined her wrist, where Issei had touched her, seeing a small burn on it. "Magic."
"I know I said I'd be using mostly Youjtusu and whatnot, but I used what was best at the given time!" Issei told her, then he focused a bit, bringing his hands up and summoning forth his [Fire Ki Knife], two of them, one in each hand. This had Shirone recoil back a bit in surprise at seeing the move, yet she couldn't afford to stare as Issei charged at her with his knives, sweeping them over her head as she leaned back, dodging them. Issei dismissed his knives, and instead spun around, aiming to deliver another [Power Kick] to her abdomen, only for Shirone to catch his leg.
She then pushed it to the side and used the small opening to attempt another strike with her fist, but Issei managed to put up his Boosted Gear to block the punch, then he retaliated with a [Ki Pulse], sending her back.
"You have a basic grasp on Ki…Not bad." Shirone commented as she stood against him, arms up and tail wagging behind her. "But not good enough either."
"Getting sore is a mere side-effect of getting better. Besides, you can use me as a way to vent your frustration." Issei replied to her, and strangely, she smiled.
+2 RP with Shirone "Koneko" Toujou.
Oh, he had a bad feeling about this now.
"Me and my fucking big mouth…" Issei groaned as he rested in his room's bathroom, trying to wash away the soreness in his muscles with a good old steaming bath. Shirone proved to be a REALLY good workout in terms of his physical stuff if a bit too good of a workout. He was sore in places he didn't know he could get sore, but at least, after a long day of training, another 283660 EXP were added to his total. Plus some stats were increased as well! His DUR alone went up by 3 points, while his STR went up by 2. His martial skill was growing nicely, and Issei felt it might be the first to evolve from its novice stage.
Either way, he had managed to score 5 more points with Shirone after things went downhill, mostly because he had helped her vent some Kuroka-caused frustration. Then, he had a talk with Kuroka about maybe teaching her sister some stuff to help with her speed instead of constantly dodging and hoping she grew faster by some miracle.
That, and he doesn't want to get tortured again like that. Shirone definitely had better martial skills than him, no argument there. Still, Issei had to rethink some stuff. He guessed this entire venture was a good way to help him gain some more stats and EXP, but he wanted a bit more, he won't lie to himself. Plus, there was that quest about Sub-Species.
Maybe he could try something right now?
"Don't think about it, Issei. As I said before, you only get ONE Sub-Species Balance Breaker. Do not waste it now, wait until we find something really worth it." Ddraig chastised him slightly, taking his thoughts away from the Sub-Species.
"Fine…Still, the progress is pretty smooth going, don't you guys think?"
"It is indeed going fairly well," Solomon commented. "We won't even require the 3 weeks at this rate, which begs the question…"
"Hm?"
"If the quest finishes itself, what then? It is the only stable source of EXP we have." Solomon pointed out, and sure enough, the thought had Issei perk up in his bath.
"Holy shit, you're right! After this, it's back to grinding only stats!"
"And not even those will be an option soon enough, if what we've seen with MGI is to be believed, you are nearing the human limit." Ddraig pointed this out as well. "Which means WE are nearing a brick wall."
"Whilst we'd still have skills, I won't lie and say this is not an issue. Because it is." Solomon added. "And we cannot force the system to give us a new daily training quest either. We have already fulfilled the one we got, and I doubt we'd receive any more quests in that particular area any time soon."
"Ah, for fuck- Wait…Solomon, what do you mean by area?" Issei asked.
"Hmm? Well, EXP-focused. A quest specifically made to grant us EXP and be repeatable at the same time. Why do you ask, my student?"
"Because I think you just provided a temporary answer to our problem!" Issei said, a smile spreading on his face. "Think, guys! In certain games, you have stuff like starting areas, and you gradually unlock more locations over time with tougher enemies and better loot!"
"Oh yeah, that is indeed true. But, partner, we have seen nothing the entire time we were here. What makes you think there IS something around those parts?" Ddraig asked with skepticism.
"Actually, I think Issei has a point, however small and unlikely. We are in a completely new area, and with some luck, our old pals from the Snake of Adam had a base here as well. Perhaps this is a chance to do some dungeon crawling once again." Solomon added, rubbing his beard as he spoke once again. "Despite the low odds, there could be something around those parts, hidden within the mountains."
"You do realize that the Gremory walked this soil, correct? If there was anything of value here, I am certain they would have taken it." The dragon added, being the more pessimistic voice of the duo.
"Still worth checking. Who knows? Maybe the system will reveal something." The boy replied, leaning back in his tub. And then, to his surprise, the door to his bathroom opened, making him turn his head toward the source…Only to find Kuroka standing there, in her birthday suit.
"Got room for one more?"
"Do I ever!"